Treating Male Skin—Why It’s Different from Women’s

According to a recent survey conducted by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), about 31% of men report they’re considering an aesthetic treatment and that number has been steadily growing as treatments become more mainstream, downtimes are decreased, and results appear more natural-looking. With roughly 60 million men ready and willing to commit to the right medical aesthetics treatment plan—hair removal is just one men’s grooming trend that’s on the rise—we’re starting to see a real shift with many medical aesthetics clinics now catering more to men.

But is there really a difference between non-invasive medical aesthetic treatments for men and those for women? Turns out, there is. Here, we look at the general difference between male skin and female skin and how this may impact those treatments you’ve been considering.

What’s the Difference Between Male Skin and Female Skin?

Fundamentally, male and female skin isn’t the same. Of course, attributes can vary by individual, but generally speaking, male skin is naturally thicker than female skin due to hormones . Androgens and testosterone, two hormones that are usually present in higher levels in men, can increase skin thickness by 25% on average compared to females. This helps to maintain skin structure and plumpness while fending off fine lines and cellulite.

As for estrogen, another common hormone, it’s typically present in much lower levels in men than women. Estrogen can affect collagen production and prompt collagen degradation. Because men have lower levels of estrogen, the decline in healthy collagen production tends to be less dramatic with age. In comparison, a female’s collagen production levels tend to sharply decline during perimenopause and menopause, when estrogen levels shift.

While thicker skin and higher collagen density tend to keep men’s skin looking younger for longer, it can also contribute to the development of deeper wrinkles, particularly when paired with a typically minimal skin care routine. Some other common skin care concerns for males are facial shaving, facial hair growth, and a typical lack of sunscreen use. While shaving can help to remove dead skin, regular shaving can also cause skin irritation, a loss of skin hydration due to damage to the skin’s epidermal layer, increased sensitivity to sun exposure, and an increase in collagen degradation, particularly if that regular shave isn’t followed up with proper skin care. Alternatively, facial hair follicles can offer additional firmness and structure to the skin, somewhat preventing more common signs of premature aging in the lower half of the face.

Considering these factors, for males, the upper half of the face, particularly around the eyes, tends to be a greater focus for medical aesthetic treatments. For those men considering facial treatments, increased muscle mass in the forehead may also influence the type of treatment recommended or how that treatment is delivered. For those unsure of how a customized medical aesthetics treatment may be adapted to meet your needs, this question is fair game during your consultation process—an experienced and certified treatment provider should be able to tell you how a treatment may be altered to meet your skin’s particular needs based not only on gender, but also your age and skin care history.

Medical Aesthetics Services for Male Patients

Historically, men have most often sought out cosmetic treatments for enlarged breasts, facial aging, and hair loss, as one aesthetics magazine notes,. In more recent years, that list has shifted to include hair removal, body contouring, wrinkle reduction, and skin resurfacing treatments. While the same technology and applications may be used for all patients for most procedures, there are some ways your treatment provider may alter a treatment for male patients to achieve optimal results. Here’s how anti-aging, body contouring, and hair removal treatments may work best for men:

Anti-Aging Treatments for Men

To start, due to greater skin thickness, for those seeking skin resurfacing treatments for a smoother, younger-looking texture, your provider will likely use a machine that offers more customizable treatment settings and features, like the Venus Viva™ skin resurfacing system. This device offers treatment providers with adjustable settings that allow them to go below the skin’s surface and obtain improved skin resurfacing results compared to more superficial treatments like chemical peels and microdermabrasion. If your focus is more on skin tightening and wrinkle reduction, your treatment provider may choose to use something like the Venus Freeze Plus™ anti-aging system, which utilizes cutting-edge (MP)² technology—a combination of Multi-Polar Radio Frequency (RF) energy and Pulsed Electro Magnetic Fields (PEMF)—to deliver uniform heat deeper below the skin’s surface. This helps boost natural collagen and elastin productions for smoother, firmer skin without the downtime.

Body Shaping Treatments for Men

Likewise, body shaping treatment devices that deliver RF energy to multiple depths can better reach targeted fat cells beneath a thicker skin surface while effectively boosting collagen production for a smoother, more defined shape. In particular, your provider may recommend the Venus Legacy™ body shaping treatments. This device features the same cutting-edge (MP)² technology as the Venus Freeze Plus™ along with advanced VariPulse™ technology, which helps to deliver homogeneous RF energy and heat to multiple tissue depths. With this technology, your provider can quickly and safely build up and maintain heat at the optimal temperature for better results with male patients. In addition, your provider may use VariPulse™ technology (adjustable pulsed suction) to better target fat cells and deliver energy deeper for those with thicker skin.

Hair Removal Treatments for Men

More often than females, males tend to make ideal candidates for aesthetic hair removal treatments. Due to higher levels of testosterone, vellus hairs—the thinner, almost invisible hairs—are transformed into terminal hairs—the coarser, darker type—at a higher rate in men than in women. Most often, hair removal treatments work most effectively on these thicker, coarser hairs, as the technology is better able to target and destroy larger hair follicles for permanent hair reduction. If you have a lighter skin tone and darker hair, you’ll benefit from Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) hair removal treatments, while those with darker and tanned skin tones can benefit from diode laser hair removal technology. Your aesthetics provider may also choose between a smaller or larger applicator tip to better treat areas in which men typically seek hair removal, such as broader areas, like the back and chest, or more precise areas, like the neckline or sideburns.

Interested in learning more about the top medical aesthetic treatment options for men or how to start your own customized treatment plan? Use our search field below to locate a certified treatment provider near you.

Skin

Take the first step towards feeling great!

Find a certified Venus Treatments provider near you today who specializes in today’s top aesthetic medical solutions.

FIND A PROVIDER

< BACK TO BLOG

< PREVIOUS POST | NEXT POST >

LATEST POSTS

3 Ways You Are Aging Your Skin Indoors

Sun exposure may account for 90% of visible premature skin aging, but there are factors that age skin indoors, too. Discover our top anti-aging tips for indoor skin damage.

Dec 13, 2018

10 Skin Care Mistakes That Cause Premature Aging

We might have the best intentions when it comes to our anti-aging skin care regimen. But when it comes to restoring that youthful glow, the details are everything.

Jul 12, 2017

10 Tips for Glowing Skin

Are you looking for naturally radiant, glowing and healthy-looking skin? If so, we’ve got 10 tips to help you get results that won’t go unnoticed!

Oct 7, 2015

Find A Certified Venus Treatments Provider Near You

Search below to find a provider near you and to learn about our non-surgical aesthetic treatments with ARTAS®, NeoGraft®, Venus Bliss™, Venus Versa™, Venus Legacy™, Venus Velocity™, Venus Viva™ MD, Venus Freeze Plus™, and Venus Glow™.

FIND A PROVIDER

ARE YOU A PHYSICIAN?

For more information call: (+44) 208 748 2221 // [email protected] // 4th Floor, No.1 Farriers Yard 77-85 Fulham Palace Road, London

REGULATORY CLEARANCES [ More ]

Venus Versa™ has CE Mark as a multi-application device intended to be used in aesthetic and cosmetic procedures. The SR515 and SR580 applicators have CE Mark for the treatment of benign pigmented epidermal and cutaneous lesions and treatment of benign cutaneous vascular lesions. The HR650/HR650XL and HR690/HR690XL applicators have CE Mark for the removal of unwanted hair and to effect stable long-term or permanent hair reduction for Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV. The AC Dual applicator has CE Mark for the treatment of acne vulgaris. The DiamondPolar™ applicator has CE Mark for non-invasive treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides on females with Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV. The OctiPolar™ applicator on the Venus Versa™ system has CE Mark for temporary body contouring via skin tightening, circumferential reduction, and cellulite reduction. The NanoFractional RF™ (Viva) applicator has CE Mark for dermatological procedures requiring ablation and resurfacing of the skin.

NeoGraft^® 2.0 has CE Mark with indication for use in suction-assisted follicular extraction and re-implantation for males and females.

The ARTAS iX™ from Restoration Robotics® is indicated for harvesting hair follicles from the scalp in men diagnosed with androgenic alopecia (male pattern hair loss) who have black or brown straight hair. The ARTAS iX™ from Restoration Robotics® is intended to assist physicians in identifying and extracting hair follicular units from the scalp during hair transplantation; creating recipient sites; and implanting harvested hair follicles.

Venus Epileve™ has CE Mark for hair removal, permanent hair reduction (defined as the long-term stable reduction in the number of hairs re-growing when measured at 6, 9 and 12 months after the completion of a treatment regimen), and the treatment of pseudofolliculitis barbae for all Fitzpatrick skin types. Venus Epileve™ is also CE-Marked for hirsutism.

Venus Legacy™ has CE Mark for the temporary increase of skin tightening, circumferential reduction, cellulite reduction, and wrinkle reduction.

Venus Velocity™ has CE Mark for hair removal, permanent hair reduction (defined as the long-term stable reduction in the number of hairs re-growing when measured at 6, 9 and 12 months after the completion of a treatment regimen), and the treatment of pseudofolliculitis barbae for all Fitzpatrick skin types.

Venus Viva™ has CE Mark for the use in dermatologic and general surgical procedures requiring ablation and resurfacing of the skin, and the treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides in Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV with the DiamondPolar™ applicator.

Venus Freeze Plus™ has CE Mark for treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides using the DiamondPolar™ applicator, and CE Mark for the treatment of cellulite reduction, increase of skin tightening, and temporary circumferential reduction on the OctiPolar™ applicator.

Venus Freeze™ has CE Mark for treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides using the DiamondPolar™ applicator, and CE Mark for the treatment of cellulite reduction, increase of skin tightening, and temporary circumferential reduction on the OctiPolar™ applicator.

Venus Glow™ provides a dermal rejuvenation treatment that works to open up and deep-clean pores. Venus Concept is the exclusive distributor for Venus Glow™.

Welcome to Venus Treatments!

You are entering our website. For other country/regions and language options, please click the button below.

Click Here

Are you a physician or aesthetician? Please visit our medical and aesthetic professional website to learn more.